Funk soul: the groove that made Brazil dance
From James Brown to the Black Rio movement: the music that turned dances into celebrations.
By DJ Rodrigo Miranda·
·
1 min read
In the 1960s, James Brown changed Black American music by putting rhythm at the center of everything: bass and drums locked on the first beat, short horn stabs and the band working as a groove machine. It was the birth of funk, soul's sibling.
In Brazil, this sound arrived in force in the 1970s. Artists like Tim Maia, Cassiano, Hyldon and Banda Black Rio created soul with a Brazilian accent, and the “bailes black” of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo drew huge crowds to dance.
Those dances were also spaces of affirmation and pride, leaving a legacy still heard today in samba rock, hip hop and contemporary Brazilian music.
On the floor, funk soul is irresistible: elegant groove, striking voices and that urge to dance that crosses generations.
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